Didi is peeling oranges. The last harvest of Nagpur oranges for the season, I heard Bapi mention to Maa and Grandma.
It’s already blazing summer. The mango trees in our backyard are in blossom, in a couple of weeks I reckon they shall bear fruit.
Don’t discard the orange peels, I hear Grandma instruct Didi.
Didi smiles. She almost expects Grandma to remind her.
You don’t worry Ginnima, Didi assures Grandma, I shall scrub and wash the peels and lay them out in the sun to dry.
Grandma smiles.
Nothing ever gets wasted in Grandma’s kitchen. Not even orange peels. They are sun-dried and powdered. Used to flavour Grandma’s finger-licking komola lebu sandesh when oranges are not in season.
Can I have a tiny bit of the peel ? I whisper to Didi.
She looks around to see if Grandma is watching. And convinced that Grandma’s hawk eyes were not following us, she nods.
I pick up a small peel and run.
Looking for Dada.
I find him in Grandma’s room, cuddled in a corner of her ancient four-poster, engrossed in a comic.
I sneak up to him in hushed tiptoes. Like a tiger stalking an unobservant prey.
Dada is too absorbed in the book to even notice.
I squeeze the peel, a jet of citrus spurts into his eyes.
Dada screams.
I run for cover.
Dada comes chasing. In fury.
I hide behind Grandma.
You did it to me last week, I confront him. Defiantly.
Dada goes grumbling to Maa.
Maa cooks a delectable Komola Phulkopi that morning. Cauliflower stewed in orange juice.
Dada and I make up after lunch. And chase each other silly around the house.
You are bringing the house down, Maa complains. Who shall ever believe they were fighting bitterly just hours back ? She quips in frustration.
God bless them, Grandma remarks. And reverts to her leather-bound Ramayana.
Komola Phulkopi. Cauliflower cooked in orange juice. Orange segments thrown in for a further explosion of citrus. Yet another novel delicacy from the house of the Tagores.
A riot on the palate. Enjoy !!!!
Komola Phulkopi (Cauliflower with Oranges)
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized caulifower cut to medium sized florets
- 1 orange peeled and segments separated
- 1/2 cup orange juice fresh
- 2 onion finely chopped
- 2 tsp ginger freshly grated
- 5-6 green chili slit
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 one inch cinnamon stick
- 1-2 green cardamom
- 1-2 cloves
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Smear the cauliflower florets with a pinch of turmeric and salt.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and fry the florets till they catch a tinge of light golden brown and have become slightly tender. Drain from oil, keep aside on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.
- Add the remaining oil to the kadai, when smoking hot, add the bay leaves, crushed cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, allow them to splutter.
- When the spices start to release their aroma, throw in the chopped onions, fry till light brown.
- Add the grated ginger, turmeric powder, cumin powder and green chillies, cook for 5 odd minutes till oil starts to release from the masala.
- Add the fried cauliflower florets and a sprinkle of salt, give it a hearty stir, cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Pour in the oranges juice and 1/4 cup of warm water, cover and cook over a medium flame till the cauliflower florets are just cooked, take care that they do not become mushy. Another 5-7 minutes I would reckon.
- Finish with the orange segments, a hearty stir and a final 3-4 odd minutes over a medium flame. Serve hot.
I cook veggies in orange juice, I never knew there was a dish like this in Bengali cuisine !! Without knowing Tagores used to Imake these kind of curries!!
I so love your write up, I come here to read your write ups, have you ever thought of writing a book, your writeups are that good.
Thanks Jaysri 🙂 Fingers crossed, some day 🙂
@Rama Thank you thank you 😀 😀
How do you manage to write such beautiful stories for each and every dish? Kudos